The present invention relates to an apparatus for automatically binding sheets of paper together, and more specifically to a paper clip automatic attaching device and a document or copy set producing machine having same.
Copying or reproduction machines include but are not limited to electrostatographic process machines. Generally, however, the process of electrostatographic copying or reproduction machines, such as light lens or scanner type machines, includes uniformly charging an image frame of a moving photoconductive member, or photoreceptor, to a substantially uniform potential, and imagewise discharging it or imagewise exposing it to light reflected from an original image being copied or reproduced. The result is an electrostatically formed latent image on the image frame of the photoconductive member. For multiple original images, several such frames are similarly imaged. The latent image so formed on each frame is developed by bringing a charged developer material into contact therewith. Two-component and single-component developer materials are commonly used. A typical two-component developer material comprises magnetic carrier particles, also known as xe2x80x9ccarrier beads,xe2x80x9d having fusable charged toner particles adhering triboelectrically thereto. A single component developer material typically comprises charged toner particles only.
In either case, the fusable charged toner particles when brought into contact with each latent image, are attracted to such image, thus forming a toner image on the photoconductive member. The toner image is subsequently transferred at a transfer station to an image receiver or copy sheet. The copy sheet is then passed through a fuser apparatus where the toner image is heated and permanently fused to the copy sheet forming a hard copy of the original image. Hard copy sheets formed as such can then be accumulated into a set that needs binding.
Document production machines such as copiers and printers conventionally come with the capability of binding the set of hard copies by stapling using a staple driving device as is well known. The other means for binding such sets together is by inserting paper clips. Currently, the most common option available for paper clipping sets of sheets is to do so manually. There is however a vary wide variety of paper clips, none of which seems to have an advantage over the others in terms of usage.
The undesirable result is a mess of paper clips sitting on top of the machine (not always in the provided area). Manually clipping a set of documents can also be a frustrating experience, especially due to the fact that clips and sheets can become tangled, or that there is lack of paper clips at the machine. Paper clips also tend to fall easily into the copiers and printers, thus causing machine problems and increasing the need for on-site technical representative repairs. Productivity is also affected because of the need to wait in line for the copier while someone manually tries to properly insert paper clips to a set of documents before returning to their desk. The same problems occurs with printers.
Automatic paper clip inserters or fitting machines have been suggested for a wide variety of certain types of paper clips as disclosed for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,946,154. But apparently these have not found acceptance and wide use as there is still a large population of copiers and printers out there relying mainly on stapling or manual clip insertion.
There is therefore a need for a simplified and widely acceptable automatic clip inserter for sets of hard copies of documents produced by copiers and printers.
In accordance with the present invention, there has been provided a paper clip automatic attaching device for automatically attaching, to a set of sheets, a paper clip having a crown portion and a pair of deflectable side by side legs. The automatic paper clip attaching device includes (a) a support assembly including a set compiler tray defining (i) a set plane for supporting a set of sheets, (ii) an open space below the set plane, and (iii) an open space above the set plane; and (b) a paper clip travel path assembly defining a paper clip travel path adjoining the set plane for guiding a paper clip towards the set plane to be automatically attached to an edge of the set of sheets. The paper clip travel path assembly includes (i) a first support member having a first guide surface for guiding a first leg of the pair of deflectable side by side legs into a first position within the space below the set plane, and (ii) a second support member spaced from the first support member and having a second guide surface for deflecting a second leg of the pair of deflectable side by side legs into a second position within the open space above the set plane. The automatic paper clip attaching device also includes clip holding assembly for holding a stack of the paper clip in position for feeding a lead paper clip in the stack into the paper clip travel path; and a powered device for contacting the common crown portion of the lead paper clip in the stack, and automatically pushing such lead paper clip, legs first, into an attached relationship with the set of sheets on the set plane.